2.2. CONSCIOUS WALKING

2.2.1. ACTIVE MEDITATION BY CONSCIOUS WALKING. We have no experience of
passive daytime meditation, normally known as contemplating one's navel. People
in the West expect to live on more than just one cup of rice a day.

2.2.2. Now the mind may be plagued by all sorts of things. One may hear
voices speaking in Chinese. One may see pictures that defy understanding. One
may sense lead like clouds threatening to fall like the sword of Damocles. One
may have problems that defy resolution. For those who are willing to take
responsibility for their actions, this will be a nuisance, but not a serious
problem. Conscious walking is a good method of dealing with such trash, as it
is a controlled way of using the Fire element.

2.2.3. Out East, training masters make much money, out of teaching western
students to do conscious walking. The principle is that the mind cannot do two
things at one time. Therefore by doing something consciously, one disrupts the
patterns of the mind, and so make them visible to one's consciousness. The
Eastern method concentrates on consciousness of the body. Thus each movement is
consciously controlled. The placing of each foot on the ground, is a deliberate
movement, and the more body movements that can be made consciously, the better.
Feel the pavement through the feet. Do not be satisfied, until every movement is
consciously controlled. There is a great deal of merit in this approach.

2.2.4. Our preferred variation, is to put ones full attention, on to the
environment, that is on the walls, trees, bushes, and whatever is around. It is
as well to pick a suitable spot for the walk. This can be a remote spot, where
there is no one to see or hear one. The other alternative is beside a busy main
road, where people are too busy driving to take much notice, and there is too
much noise for anyone to hear. Getting into full perception of the environment,
can be a difficult lesson to learn. The first thing to to meditate on, is what
conscious walking is.

The answer to your problem is on a notice pinned to a tree.

2.2.5. There are various methods of getting ones full perception on to what
is around. On a road, spotting the makes and models of cars, can be useful,
especially if one says the make and model, out aloud. If any one else gets too
near, then keep quiet. When crossing the road, concentrate on crossing the road
safely. If anyone gets knocked down while doing this, they have failed the
test. A person has also failed the test, if anyone asks if him if he has seen a
psychiatrist. There are plenty of other things to . . observe, besides cars.
Point out to oneself the various objects around, animal, vegetable or mineral,
and name them.

2.2.6. The more a person can consciously perceive the environment, the more
rubbish will appear from the mind, and this can be abreacted off with laughter.
Other lessons to be learned, are how to laugh with the mouth shut, and how to
say things under one's breath without moving the lips. It is also advisable to
walk, on the pavement against the flow of the traffic, as abreaction can cause
motor cyclists to stop and inspect their machines, to find out what is wrong.

2.2.7. Another variation on this is conscious work. One of the limits of
speed of working, is noise from the mind. Try working twice as hard, and
abreact after leaving one's place of work. Increasing work speed is good for job
security. Computer terminals and visual display units (VDUs) are notorious for
turning up mental noise. There are two main reasons for VDUs creating health
problems. One is mental noise. The other is not having the right pair of
glasses. Measure the distance between the eyes and the screen, and tell the
optician, that a pair of glasses is needed for that distance. Do not be fobbed
off with reading or driving glasses, as these are for different distances.
British opticians have got too used to selling members of the public one pair of
over priced glasses. They forget that it usually possible to sell a customer
more than one pair of glasses, to cover various purposes.

2.2.8. Conscious car driving is another form of meditation. A car with the
windows shut, and moving can make a good capsule, especially on the motorway.
It probably helps to have tinted windows, so that while one can see out, others
have difficulty seeing in. It is necessary to raise the level of perception, to
be aware of all cars in front, and to the side. All cars now, have two or three
mirrors, and this allows for awareness of what is behind as well. The standard
of driving should be absolutely according to the book. Anyone with any doubts
on what the book says, should read the Highway Code (HMSO). There is a British
saying, "The other driver is an idiot". This should also be
remembered, when driving in Germany, as there the book is all important. Leave
at least a two second gap between oneself and the car in front, as this keeps
down insurance premiums. Do not try to tail gate, or trying to chew off the
rear bumper of the car in front, as this is expensive on insurance. Tail
gateing is probably the biggest source of motorway accidents. Conscious driving
certainly teaches defensive driving.

2.2.9. When driving, if a police car creeps up without being seen, then one
has failed the test. Similarly, if a policeman asks, "Now Sir, may I have
the name of your psychiatrist", do not give a silly answer. Mental illness
can be a bar to keeping a driving licence.

2.2.10. When meditating in a car, it is necessary to keep one's wits and
perception at a high level at all times. It must however be said, that all cars
now have radios and tape players, and some people actually use them. What
happens to their level of perception, is a mystery. Also some psychiatrists are
now advising people to sing and laugh, while driving, to blow off tension.
Meditation inspired by psychiatrists is liable to be kids' stuff, compared with
that inspired by Thor. If in doubt, move into the slow lane.

2.2.11. Evidently if a person in the British Police takes an advanced
driving course, the instructor will ask the trainee driver to describe what he
sees. This does not apply when going around roundabouts or negotiating similar
hazards. This does increase . the driver's awareness. It also ensures that the
trainee is in . the same universe as the instructor. .

2.2.12. It is important to get conscious walking, and the variations of it,
well and truly understood and working, before trying to use it with direction,
otherwise the other forms just will not work. Conscious walking does lead on to
conscious living. This may have a few disadvantages. If one throws down
litter, not only is one aware of having dropped it, but one also knows where it
has landed. If trouble arises in higher meditations, return to basics. Keep
walking consciously or otherwise, preferably consciously, until the trouble
clears. Directed meditation, described later, uses the Air element of ideas.
For meditational purposes, Fire has a higher rank than Air.

2.2.13. A good Western alternative is army square bashing, or parade ground
drill. As long as the drill sergeant's comments are well and truly over the
top, they are unlikely to do any harm, while the discipline is therapeutic.

"Soldier, am I hurting you"?

"No sergeant".

"Well I ought to be. I am standing on your hair. Get your hair cut".

CONSCIOUS WALKING IS ESSENTIAL TO REALLY MAKE MEDITATION WORK.

PRACTICE CONSCIOUS WALKING, AND CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT, UNTIL ONE
UNDERSTANDS WHAT CONSCIOUS WALKING IS ALL ABOUT. This will allow the reader to
draw up his own battle plans, top down. Do not practise any other form of
meditation in this book, until a reasonable attempt has been made to master
conscious walking. With conscious walking, one may be able to finish reading
this book.

CONSCIOUS WALKING IS ESSENTIAL TO REALLY MAKE MEDITATION WORK.
CONSCIOUS WALKING IS ESSENTIAL TO REALLY MAKE MEDITATION WORK.